The Six Nations Championship is the largest rugby tournament in the northern hemisphere, contested annually by England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Each team plays each other once, with home advantage alternating on a yearly basis. Teams are awarded two points for a win and one for a draw.

The tournament can be won in two different manners, with a side winning either a championship or a Grand Slam. A Grand Slam is completed when a side defeats all others during the tournament. The competition began life in 1883 as the Home Nations championship, featuring England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. France were officially added to the mix in 1910 to make it the Five Nations championship, although they had participated in four previous tournaments.

The tournaments were suspended during both World Wars, and France were temporarily excluded from the championship between 1931 and 1939 due to allegations of professionalism, administrative troubles and a reputation for on-field violence. The tournament was reinstated in 1947 and would continue to grow as a spectacle, becoming a popular annual event for fans and eventually a big television draw.

In 2000 it was expanded to include Italy, making Scotland the last side to win a Five Nations championship.

Home Nations 1883-1909

Year

Winners

1883

England (Triple Crown)

1884

England (Triple Crown)

1885

Not completed

1886

England and Scotland

1887

Scotland

1888

Not completed

1889

Not completed

1890

England and Scotland

1891

Scotland (Triple Crown)

1892

England (Triple Crown)

1893

Wales (Triple Crown)

1894

Ireland (Triple Crown)

1895

Scotland (Triple Crown)

1896

Ireland

1897

Not completed

1898

Not completed

1899

Ireland (Triple Crown)

1900

Wales (Triple Crown)

1901

Scotland (Triple Crown)

1902

Wales (Triple Crown)

1903

Scotland (Triple Crown)

1904

Scotland

1905

Wales (Triple Crown)

1906

Wales and Ireland

1907

Scotland (Triple Crown)

*1908

Wales (Grand Slam)

*1909

Wales (Grand Slam)

* (Home Nations but Wales also defeated France so a Grand Slam is recorded)